Character descriptions

[36b7]

Does anyone know why so many writers feel the need to describe their characters in all their anatomical detail?
Viz. 6'2" 215lbs toned muscles or 5'4" blonde cute size 6 36c etc.etc.
One of the joys of reading any fiction is being able to 'flesh out' the characters in one's imagination.
I'm sure all authors have an image of their characters in mind as they write but they shouldn't spoil their readers fun with prescription.

 

[PennLady]

Well, some people like that, both writing it and reading it. And it could be that's what's needed in the story. The author may want the reader to picture someone with specific features for a reason, for example. Or a character in the story may be someone who likes specificity. So don't knock it just as a knee-jerk reaction.

Personally, I'm with you in the general sense, at least when I write. I don't mind reading a more specific description but sometimes when I write, I find I forget to describe a character, which isn't always a good thing. I don't like the laundry list descriptions, but again, sometimes they are appropriate to a story.

 

[oggbashan]

Some people like to be spoon-fed.

Others like to use their imagination to make the characters fit their own particular fantasies.

An author being prescriptive and using detailed statistics suits some, but most of the AH members would avoid such techniques.

How do you tell a woman's bra size without looking at the bra's label? Do you stand all potential partners against a graduated grid for a mug shot to establish their exact height before standing them on an accurate set of scales for their weight?

I prefer to leave it to the reader to decide what my characters are like. The reader's ideal might not be mine. Some complain that in some of my stories I make the reader work too hard by implying sex instead of describing it.

I think communication is a two way process. The author has to create a story that appeals and the reader has to engage with the story to enjoy it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I prefer a good idea of what the characters look like.

 

[bashfullyshameless]

Does anyone know why so many writers feel the need to describe their characters in all their anatomical detail?
Viz. 6'2" 215lbs toned muscles or 5'4" blonde cute size 6 36c etc.etc.
One of the joys of reading any fiction is being able to 'flesh out' the characters in one's imagination.
I'm sure all authors have an image of their characters in mind as they write but they shouldn't spoil their readers fun with prescription.

On occasion, such details become relevant to the story. They're often particularly relevant to erotica, which gets into very physical matters where visualization and choreography are important.

Usually, I try to leave things a little vague... but I tend to get annoyed when I'm more than a third through a story/novel and I discover something about a character's appearance that hadn't been established early on.

 

[lovecraft68]

For the most part I don;t run down the "stats"

I'll say a guy is "well built" or has a Powerful build, "just shy of six feet" I never do bra/cup size and use "sizable cock" rather than get out the ruler.

But if I read a story where the author gives a lot of details it doesn't bother me unless they're really going on and on.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

LeCarre defined George Smiley forever on the first page of his first novel. And Smiley is now an icon. George has every frailty but two, intelligence and nerve.

 

[Weird Harold]

As a rule of thumb, I never write a "reward poster" description unless someone is offering a reward.

 

[topace]

As a rule of thumb, I never write a "reward poster" description unless someone is offering a reward.

I did that in my first published fan fiction story, and it annoyed quite a few of my readers. Add the fact that I confused them until the second chapter came out about some details, and I got some poor reviews. Learned quite a bit from that!

Now I try to avoid it and just say ages and heights and maybe the clothes they are wearing at the time (for example if a couple went swimming on a date, I described the swimsuits).

 

[Kurokami]

I use a broad strokes approach when writing descriptions; hair color, general build, height and weight, possibly some distinguishing physical characteristics... but other than that the reader is on their own.

Mostly that's because I enjoy engaging my own imagination that way and figure the readers might too, but it's also that I find the exactingly detailed measurements thing to be tiresome. People don't see like that in the real world; when I meet a woman out and about I'm unable to immediately discern all her measurements after a few seconds of real time, why should my fiction be any different? Besides, having to stop to describe the bust of every girl, and the cock length of every guy that appears would just break the flow of the narrative.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I usually don't present much detail at all in physical description, unless it's relevant to the plot - I'm happy for my readers to project whatever they like. If anything I probably put slightly more physical description into minor characters, because they're not going to get as much characterisation.

 

[Handley_Page]

Assessing some character's height is not particularly difficult.
Similarly, build and general appearance.
Everything else is in the reader's mind; especially bra size (a good handful is ideal)

 

[sun_sea_sky]

Does anyone know why so many writers feel the need to describe their characters in all their anatomical detail?

Personally I like to imply things.

For example:

As he dropped his pants, she looked at his cock. "Oh, wow!" she said.


That implies it is the size that she likes (whatever that is).

Or:

As she pulled her T-shirt off, he got his first glance of her tits. "Perfect!" he drooled, reaching for them.


Again, you don't need to specify the exact size in inches, centimeters or whatever.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Personally I like to imply things.

For example:

As he dropped his pants, she looked at his cock. "Oh, wow!" she said.


That implies it is the size that she likes (whatever that is).

Or:

As she pulled her T-shirt off, he got his first glance of her tits. "Perfect!" he drooled, reaching for them.


Again, you don't need to specify the exact size in inches, centimeters or whatever.

Bad example of implication. Maybe its really little or missing. Try, NOW I KNOW WHERE THE BEEF WENT.

 

[36b7]

Well my original posting produced an interesting range of opinions, even a reference to Le Carre though I doubt he would have posted on Lit.
But who knows.
Thank you all.
I shall remain simply female, of an interesting age and always able to turn heads in a restaurant.

Eve
X

 

[othbndy]

Does anyone know why so many writers feel the need to describe their characters in all their anatomical detail?
Viz. 6'2" 215lbs toned muscles or 5'4" blonde cute size 6 36c etc.etc.
One of the joys of reading any fiction is being able to 'flesh out' the characters in one's imagination.
I'm sure all authors have an image of their characters in mind as they write but they shouldn't spoil their readers fun with prescription.

Sometimes it's part of the requirement. I was asked to write a lesbian first encounter for a woman...which was a bit difficult as I'm a man. She wanted her fantasy partner to be similar to her, but different in subtle ways, and to be a different race. I felt I needed to add a few physical characteristics to assure her I was meeting her intent. Also, sometimes I think it's necessary based on the physical act that is occurring. For example, if I'm going to describe a guy kissing a woman while tickling the backs of legs and knees, it's helpful to know he's 6'5" and she's 5'3" otherwise the physical act might not seem possible and that detracts from the quality of the story. But I think in general, describe enough of the character so that the reader can get a general idea, and then let them make up the rest. Another example, I might be writing a story and you are reading it, thinking of a woman with small breasts, and then later in the story the two are titty fucking. That's probably not going to happen if she's an 'A' cup...or has small breasts.

 

[Boota]

I think as long as you stay away from numbers in general physical descriptions you're doing okay. Unless the characters are actually measuring each other I can't see any reason for specifics.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Well my original posting produced an interesting range of opinions, even a reference to Le Carre though I doubt he would have posted on Lit.
But who knows.
Thank you all.
I shall remain simply female, of an interesting age and always able to turn heads in a restaurant.

Eve
X

One of LeCarres close friends posts to LIT.

 

[Handley_Page]

I think as long as you stay away from numbers in general physical descriptions you're doing okay. Unless the characters are actually measuring each other I can't see any reason for specifics.

Welcome back !

 

[rjordan]

Does anyone know why so many writers feel the need to describe their characters in all their anatomical detail?
Viz. 6'2" 215lbs toned muscles or 5'4" blonde cute size 6 36c etc.etc.
One of the joys of reading any fiction is being able to 'flesh out' the characters in one's imagination.
I'm sure all authors have an image of their characters in mind as they write but they shouldn't spoil their readers fun with prescription.

I think it comes from the Penthouse Letters School of Erotic Writing that many writers and readers were weaned on. The writers were probably mostly untrained and inexperienced writers just describing something freaky that happened to them, though some were writing stories disguised as real events. The readers developed certain expectations for these letters just like readers of Loving Wives, etc. develop fetishes and behaviors they expect in a story.

I can't count the number of stories here that have an intriguing first paragraph, then destroy the mood with:

I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Brad R. Pratt, 6'4", 250 lbs with an uncut 8-1/2" cock and I'm married to Susan B. Nacho, 5'3", 100 lbs, 34B, 24, 35 with honey brown hair that she wears in a pony tail. Everyone thinks I look like Brad Pitt, but with one brown eye, and they think Susan looks like Cindy Crawford, but with that mole on the other side of her mouth and up a bit higher.

Actual numbers are almost never needed. If a guy is kissing his wife and rubbing the heels of her feet while both are standing, my brain is going to stretch him out to the required size.

rj

 

[TimothyM]

Glad I'm not the only one !

Thanks for bringing this up, so I know I'm not the only one wondering about it

I often find those exact descriptions tiresome, and in addition all of those feet and inches and lbs and whatever are totally confusing for someone who has grown up with the metric system. So I'm like: '8 inch dick' hmm that's small - no wait multiply by 2,54 (sorry that should be 2.54 for US readers, shouldn't it ?) ehmm OK that's around 20 cm, so quite big. Now, where was I in the story....

And then there is the whole uncut / cut thing that seems to be required in the description of every guy's dick (or at least in GM stories). Weird to most Christian Europeans, I would guess.

But 90 % of the stories I've read on Lit have these exact descriptions, though some writers try to disguise them and work them into the plot (e.g. by having the main character look at herself or himself in the mirror, and of course having him / her admire or describe the other characters). So I guess this becomes the norm, i.e. "if most writers do this, I had better do so as well". And of course readers DO need a bit of description to visualize the characters - this happens in non-erotic fiction too.

However, the writers I admire most manage to get the point across without those number filled descriptions. And I much prefer to read about and can more easily visualize a tall, well built guy with fairly large dick than a 6'2" 215lbs guy with toned muscles and an uncut 8-1/2" cock.

So how about using this thread to point to authors who are NOT falling into this trap. Apart from those who have already said here that they avoid it (I'm going to start reading your stories from now on !).

So here are two of my personal favorites (both write Gay Male stories):
ikhneumon and podga

 

[sr71plt]

Well my original posting produced an interesting range of opinions, even a reference to Le Carre though I doubt he would have posted on Lit.
But who knows.
Thank you all.
I shall remain simply female, of an interesting age and always able to turn heads in a restaurant.

Eve
X

This was answered off the bat. Some writers want to completely visualize their characters from the beginning (if for no other reason than so many do), and some readers like to have their characters completely visualized. Whether you like that or not is pretty much irrelevant to the question. Obviously some--both writers and readers--like it. So, those who like those stories can write and read them here and those who don't can write and read something else.

 

[Naughty_Misty]

Damn, now I am going to go back and check the stuff I've written. I don't remember if I am guilty of the Drivers License character description or not. Though it is nice to know (if I make any future submissions) that it seems preferable to be more vague on certain details.

 

[Boota]

Welcome back !

Thanks! Good to be back.

 

[sr71plt]

Though it is nice to know (if I make any future submissions) that it seems preferable to be more vague on certain details.

Nothing here is more preferable to anything else. There's a whole range of preferences and room for them all.